The Weak Link
by tpchicken
Summary: A predator plans in advance, tracks his prey, finds the vulnerability, manipulates others and isolates his prey.


**Author's Note:** This is my first Castle fic. I have found in my long history of writing, that I'm better if I write just a one shot. This one came out very Ryan centric. I hope you enjoy!

_

* * *

Predators have to plan out well in advance her/his vicious attacks._

_Predators must find and track her/his prey._

_The predator has to plan when and where her/his prey will be the most vulnerable to an attack._

_Predators have to plan how to manipulate others that may be around._

_Predators have to figure out how to isolate her/his prey from others._

_

* * *

_

He saw the detectives come in. He had been waiting for them. He knew they would come. He had, after all, killed, not once but several times. The last was his undoing. He had gotten sloppy, overconfident. He had felt invincible, but he knew he wasn't. And there they were, Beckett & her motley crew. From his vantage point he observed them. Apparently, he wasn't the only overconfident one, since they had even allowed the writer to come in. He would use there overconfidence as a weapon against them. He would escape.

The warehouse he had used to hide was large. So large, that he knew he had the time to observe his prey, set his trap and execute his plan. He was smarter than they were, and he wasn't going without a fight. A shiver ran up his spine. The whole thing became delicious to him; it would be his masterpiece. He would have one last murder, in front of the police, and he would get away with it.

The first thing he had to do was find his mark. In every pack of animals, there was a weakling. Humans were no exception. He would find the weak link and break it. From his vantage point, high in the rafters, he studied the four. Beckett was obviously the alpha, she was no good to him. What about the writer? Yes, Castle seemed like the obvious choice, for he was no police detective. On the other hand, he was a tower of a man, larger than himself, but not by much. There was something deceptive about Castle, and he had a feeling that going after the writer would be the wrong choice.

That left the other two, Esposito & Ryan. Esposito looked more the muscle to him. Yes, he had that worldly, street smart look about him. Ryan definitely was the least experienced of the group. He resonated some sort of rookie vibe. He paused for a moment, letting it all sink in, double checking his feelings, making sure that he wasn't fooling himself. In the end he relied on his instincts. Ryan would be his prey. This was going to be fun.

* * *

This was not Kevin's idea of fun. He was always a little more tense in these kind of situations than Esposito or Beckett. Heck, even Castle was more enthusiastic about walking into a warehouse which probably housed a ruthless, calculating, vicious killer. On the other hand, maybe he was getting worked up over nothing. This one had been one step ahead of them for over a week. What was the chance he'd slip up again and get caught "with his pants down?"

That didn't mean he shouldn't be alert or cautious. Beckett had taken point, as she usually did. Kevin glanced quickly to his left to check his partner, Esposito. A step behind them was Castle. After that fleeting glance he continued to scan his right flank. There were stacks of boxes, towers of crates, lines of barrels, all sorts of nooks and crannies that a killer could hide in. He swore he heard a noise overhead, and wondered briefly in anyone had bothered to scan above them. The ceiling seemed solid, he didn't see beams or rafters someone could be in, so he chalked it up to being a little jumpy.

They were looking for the nest. The place where there perp had been sleeping, eating, planning. The tips had paid off, and it all came down to this. Kevin swallowed thickly, and wiped his brow with the back of his hands, being careful of his gun. Two steps further and Beckett motioned them slightly left. Back behind barrels labeled toxic, they found a bed roll. Newspaper clippings were pasted on the wall, notebooks with messy scrawling handwriting, interspersed with blood lined the floor. Kevin wondered briefly how homicidal maniacs had the money for newspapers and journals.

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of exploding wood. Several crates 30 yards to their left had toppled like they had been pushed. Beckett instinctively ran towards the disturbance, Esposito on her heals, but Kevin hesitated slightly. Something seemed off. He snapped back into reality when he heard Beckett call to Castle to stay down and away. Castle, of course, ignored her, ran around the boxes and crates a different way. Kevin saw him reach Beckett just in time to pull her away from another falling tower of packing supplies. The two crashed into Esposito and threw them all to the floor.

Kevin had intended to follow Castle, just in case the writer got into some trouble. Castle's actions had thrown his again, and the two second delay turned out to be his downfall. Before he could take a step, as Castle's body disappeared from his view for a brief moment, a totally new problem arose. A hand clasp firmly around his mouth, and a gun became wedged just behind his right ear. Kevin knew he was in some serious trouble.

* * *

They had found his sanctuary. He saw her scanning the articles of his triumphs. Her gloved hand lifting the pages of his literary proof of superiority. Briefly raged built up inside him, and he wanted to destroy them all. He quickly pushed those feelings down deep inside him. He had to stick to the plan. They were at his proverbial watering hole, and now he had to separate the weak from the herd.

They were so transfixed on his little hidey hole, that they never saw him sidle down from the rafters, instinctively, calmly, quietly, take his well worn path through his maze and come up behind them on their right. After giving them the right amount of time to become complacent, he hit the button on his remote control to put his operation "divide & conquer" into action. Gleefully he saw the crates come down, as if someone was trying to flee to the side door on the left of building and got too careless. Perfectly, Beckett took the bait. He was even more pleased to see his rouse has also drawn Esposito & Castle away. They were playing into his hands. He hit the second button, then quickly, effortlessly, dropped his remote, took three steps forward and claimed his prize.

He felt as Detective Ryan tensed up underneath his grasp. He watched, briefly, as Ryan's eyes went wide in understanding. His chest swelled with pride at what he had accomplished and power over this helpless creature in his grasp.

"Drop your gun, or I will preform the unfortunate, but inevitable, task of removing your brain from your skull."

Ryan's gun clanged loudly against the floor. The echo was longer and more distracting than he would've liked. He had hoped to have a few more moments of taunting his prey before the others returned to what would be the scene of his triumph. There was no need to delay the impending results, and indeed they would happen soon. His capture had been noticed by the others, and they were rapidly, but cautiously approaching his position. In response, he backed up, pulling Ryan with him, until he was right were he wanted to be. It was the perfect position, with a direct route to the unnoticed right side door, but also he wouldn't be flanked on a side by Esposito, trying to get a line on him. In fact, there would be no good way to get to him, unless they wanted to go through Ryan, which he was sure they wouldn't.

Interestingly, Ryan had gone somewhat limp in his arms. When he knew that Beckett had already spotted him, he had removed his hand from Ryan's mouth, instead wrapping his arm around his neck, threatening a loss of air if Ryan tried to defy his captor's movements or instructions. These actions all but confirmed to him that his choice had been correct. Ryan was the weak link.

"Give it up! There's no where you can go. Release Detective Ryan and we can talk. This can be over."

"Oh, this is over Detective Beckett, but not as you wish it. Ryan and I are going to take a little trip. If you behave yourselves, you can collect your man in the alley. I'll be long gone. Misbehave, and I'm afraid that Ryan will have to suffer the consequences of your actions."

Ugh, the writer was talking now. He didn't bother to even listen, instead prepared for his departure. He noticed the eye contact between his hostage and his partner. There seemed to be an understanding between the two. A slight head nod from both confirmed it to him. They were saying their good-byes. He would relish the remembrance of that look between the compatriots, when he replayed Ryan's murder in his head later.

He was tired of this charade, they were stalling him and it was time to go. Without another word he forcefully pulled Ryan towards the door. They moved to intercept him, but the cocking of his gun as he pushed it further into Ryan's skull and the whimper of pain that followed stopped the others in their tracks. He found it pathetic, and he laughed at the fools as he pulled Ryan through the door. Seconds later the door latched shut and a shot rang out.

* * *

The look on Ryan's face was unmistakable. Javier had only seen it once before, and, boy, that day had totally sucked. Worst day ever. Then again, this experience wasn't the walk in the park he was hoping for either. There was no way on this Earth that Javier was going to let his partner become homicidal maniac fodder. Then again Ryan's mother hadn't raised no fool either. The look on Ryan's face clearly said "I'm getting out of this today, and you are buying me a pizza and a whole case of beer for my troubles."

Ryan seemed unharmed for now, even as he was being pulled through the door. Javier was standing two feet back from Beckett, Castle off to their right, all watching as their coworker and friend got pulled away from them. Javier went to pursue, but a slight cry of pain from Ryan stopped him in his tracks. As Ryan and their murderer faded from sight, Beckett pulled out her phone, calling for backup. The door latched, a shot rang out, and without thinking he was racing towards his partner, Castle at his heels.

* * *

Kevin had no space. A dirty arm was crushing his windpipe. The muzzle of the gun pressed into his skull was making it hard to concentrate. He was having a bad day, and he was getting out of this mess, because if he didn't come home tonight, Jenny was going to kill him.

He had a brief moment of clarity as he shared the understanding between him and his partner. Esposito knew he could handle himself, and he knew that if he couldn't, Esposito would have his back. So even though he knew that his situation was dire, that at any moment Mr. Crazy behind him could decide to splatter his brains, he was calm. His training had clicked in. He allowed himself to be pulled away. He bided his time.

Kevin knew that he looked like a spring chicken. That often his peers looked at him and thought he would be better suited behind a desk. Only his closest friends knew that he sailed though training near the top of his class. He had been around the block and knew how to handle himself in the field. Sure, there was that one day, yeah, that one day totally sucked.

He was snapped out of his thoughts as they had exited into the alley way. He saw the door swinging shut and realized it was his only chance. There was finally room to work with out here and doubted that if he didn't make his move now, he wouldn't be around to share that pizza and beer with Esposito tonight. He shuddered as his assailant caressed the gun behind his ear, and knew this was his last chance before dying.

Instinctively Kevin slammed his left foot down in the inside of his captors foot. At the same time, his right hand shot up, pushing the arm and gun up and away from his head. A shot rang out from the gun, breezing through his hair and missing his flesh by inches. His captor had been stunned by the sudden movement, but was regaining his composure, so as Kevin swung around, and attempted to smash the other man's nose with the palm of his hand, he was caught short by the other man's left.

The gun was still in the man's right hand, so that had to be his focus. Kevin's left hand was trapped, so he reached under his left arm, grabbed the man's right write and pulled out and up. They both struggled for control, the gun flapping wildly above them. Momentum was on Kevin's side. He pushed forward with his whole body, slamming the other man against the far wall. He slammed his hands again, and the gun dropped free. Kevin stepped on it and pushed it behind him. It was a satisfying sound to hear the metal slide against pavement.

The struggle continued as footsteps became louder behind him. Kevin finally broke free as he heard the others come up behind him. His assailant was pinned, back to the wall, guns trained on him. Kevin took several steps back to catch his breath, thankful that the situation had been diffused. He saw Esposito come closer to handcuff the man.

Then Kevin saw it. The flash of hatred of a man who is cornered and realizes he has nothing to lose. Almost instantly there was a guttural scream and the man was lunging for Kevin once again. He braced himself for the attack that never game as shots rang out from both Beckett and Esposito's guns. Finally, this man would never hurt another soul again.

* * *

He relished this final moment with his prey. He was going to enjoy ending another life, watching as his gray matter decorated the alley walls. He was once again the victor. He shot his final barb in the heart of the people that would be his downfall, and now he was theirs. Goodbye Detective...

Then it all happened so fast, and at once his was trapped like a mouse in a dead end of a maze. How could this be happening to him. Some how this weakling, this inferior slug had bested him. He had been too sure and got caught unawares. It was a bold move he never expected. Damn him.

His eyes darted from Beckett to Castle to Esposito and finally Ryan. The anger he had managed to suppress his whole life came bubbling back up. He remembered all the people that thought they were better than him. Those who would laugh at him behind his back. Every wrong against him burned in his chest. Its as if his whole life was one mockery after another until this little boy mocked him once more. He would not have it. He would kill Ryan with his own hands if he had to!

Screams came out of him that he hardly recognized. He lunged towards Ryan ready to rip his throat out. Until, pain, like molten lead spreading through his back shot through him. Once, twice, three times. He fell. He wanted to destroy, but his body gave up on his raging spirit. Then it was dark.

* * *

In the end it was Castle that sprung for the pizza and beer. They sat in the conference room, the four of them plus the Chief. A television droned on quietly in the background. The banter was light and jovial, but the mood was dark. Yet, there was hope, and everyone knew, in this group, there was no weak link.


End file.
